10-04-07:

Multirate Signal Processing, Introduction

Lecture: Mi., 9-10:30 Hu010
Seminar: Do. 15-16:30 (U), K2026
There will be bi-weekly homework assignments,
which will count 30% towards the final grade.
Homework can be done in groups of max. 3
people.

Book: Strang, Nguyen: “Wavelets and Filter Banks”

What is Multirate Signal Processing?
Multirate: meaning different sampling rates, as
from using downsampling or upsampling. In filter
banks, we reduce the sampling rate after filtering
a signal, which reduces the bandwidth. For
reconstruction and obtaining the original sampling
rate, we need to up-sample and filter for
interpolation the signal.
Where is Multirate Signal Processing used?
For instance in coding and compression
algorithms, like the
• so-called Modified Discrete Cosine
Transform (MDCT) filter bank in audio
coding, or the
• Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT) in image
or video coding
• Channel coding (OFDM), where a channel
is divided into many narrower channels
with lower data rates and hence longer
symbol duration, to reduce problems with
multipath/reflections
• Simple example: Sampling rate conversion
of an audio signal from 44.1 kHz (from a
CD) down to 32 kHz on the computer.
Observe: here we lose the highest
frequency components (16kHz-22 kHz,
which is basically okay since human
hearing is only up to about 16 kHz). Before
down-sampling we have to remove these
 high-frequency components by low pass
filtering. Or the other way around, from
32 kHz to 44.1 kHz sampling rate.
• Observe: here we obtain a new frequency
range from 16kHz to 22 kHz, which should
contain no signal components. Here we
have to low pass the up-sampled signal to
these 16 kHz.
• This up- and down-sampling are the basic
building blocks of multirate signal
processing.
• The following picture shows the basic
building blocks for low-pass filtering and
down-sampling by a factor of N, and up-
sampling by a factor of N followed by low
pass filtering:
The following picture shows a filter bank,
which is the principal tool for multirate signal
processing, first the analysis filter bank:

The analysis filter bank decomposes the signal

into different frequency bands. Observe that
each frequency band has a lower sampling
rate, which is possible because they have a
llower bandwidth.

To reconstruct the original from the different

frequency bands, we need the synthesis filter
bank:

Observe: The filters after the up-sample “fish

out” the correct frequency image out of the
aliased images for that subband. All the
subbands are then added up to reconstruct
the original signal.